Ash-trap.



S. F. MYERS.

ASH TRAP.

APPLIOATION Hum MAY 13. 1909.

988,372. Ptented p ,1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL F. MYERS, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ASH-TRAP.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. MYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Ash-Trap, of which thefollowing is a specification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novelconstruction of ash trap or cover for ash pits more particularlydesigned for employment in open fire places.

To this end the invention comprises a sheet iron frame and an ash platemounted for swinging movement within the frame upon a rod locatedforwardly of the middle of the plate whereby the plate will beoverbalanced, the ashes being collected upon the portion of the plate tothe rear of the rod within the fire place and this portion being heldagainst dropping by the medium of a lug or similar element stamped outof the frame in which the plate is mounted the ashes being dumped byswinging down the forward end of the plate whereby to raise its rearend.

In the accompanying drawings ;Figure 1 is a plan view of an ash trapconstructed in accordance with the present invention, and Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view therethrough taken from front to rear and on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the ash trap embodying the present invention is shownas comprised of a frame and an ash plate which is hingedly mounted inthe frame and this frame, indicated in general by the referencecharacter A, is preferably formed of sheet metal with a flat body and aperipheral depending flange 5, the edge of which rests upon the fireplace and supports the body of the frame. The front of this frame isindicated by the numeral 6, its rear by the numeral 7 and its ends bythe numeral 8, the frame being preferably rectangular.

The ash plate above referred to is inclicated by the numeral 9 and ispreferably formed of sheet metal and of a size to fit within therectangular opening in the frame A. Each end 8 of the frame of thedevice is cut with parallel slits 10 which are located adjacent thefront thereof and the metal between these slits is stamped or struckdown as at 11 to afford a hinge member, the function of which will bepresently described. In a similar manner, the ash plate 9 is providedwith like hinge members 12 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1909.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Serial No. 495,660.

correspondingly located; and engaging all of the hinge members and theunder sides of the ends 8 of the frame A and of the ash plate 9, is ahinge rod 13, this rod serving to hingedly support the ash plate 9 inthe frame A as will be readily understood and being, by reason of thelocation of the hinge members, positioned forwardly of the longitudinalmedian line of the plate 9 and retained from dislocation by the sideflanges In other words, the plate is hingedly mounted of? center withinthe frame, its major portion lying to the rear of the hinge rod 13 andits minor portion forward of the said hinge rod. It will thus beunderstood that the rear end or side of the plate 9 has a tendency toswing down, and this tendency is arrested and the said end of the platesupported normally through the medium of a lip 14 which is formed in therear side 7 of the frame A by striking from the said portion of theframe a tongue which is bent to extend beneath the said portion 7 of theframe and forwardly beyond the edge of the opening therein as shown.

As will be readily understood, the plate, when the device is in positionbeneath the fuel basket of an open fire place, will receive the ashesdropping from the basket. When it is desired to discharge these ashesinto the ash pit which is covered by the device embodying the invention,a poker or like implement is engaged with that portion of the plate 9which lies forward of the hinge rod 13 and this side of the plate isdepressed, thereby bringing the plate substantially to the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings in which position theashes will slide down and off from the plate and into the ash pit. Uponrelease of the plate, it will automatically drop or return to normalposition with its rear edge portion resting upon the lip 14.

From the foregoing description of the invention it will be seen thatthere is provided an extremely simple device of this class and one whichmay be readily manipulated to discharge the ashes collecting there onand which may be stamped from sheet metal with practically no waste ofmaterial and with but little trouble.

Aside from the fact that sheet metal members are much cheaper inconstruction than castings and less likely to be broken by the heat fromthe ashes, it is also cheaper to form the hinge elements and the lip asdeing left by the lug 14 this opening will not be objectionable becauseit is at the rear of the fire place out of sight and out of the way.When the device is opened as above described there is no ledge exposedwithin the frame upon which the ashes accumulate to prevent the platefrom reseating itself so as to close the frame nicely, because whatparticles rest on the lug 14 make little if any difference. The matterof the insertion of the rod-13 is not provided for inthis-specification, but once in place the side flanges 5 will'hold itagainst displacement and hence themembers 11 and 12 need not embraceittightly, and the plate can turnon the rod or it can turn with the rodand thelatter can turn in the members 11. v The size and proportion ofparts is immaterial.

What is claimed is W In an ash trap, the combination with a framehavinga'rec'tangular opening and a depending peripheral flange, thesides of the frame having pairs of slits and the metal between each twoslits depressed near the front of the frame to form a hinge member, andthe back of the frame provided with a lip extending beneath the frameand into its opening; of a sheet metalplate filling said opening andhaving pairs of slits with the metal between each two slits depressed toform a hingemember alined with those in the frame, and a rod engagingsaid members and standing against the lower face of the plate and framebetween the side flanges of the latter.

Intestimony that I claim the foregoing-as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL F. MYERS.

Witnesses MAUD MYERS, MARIE BISHOP.

Copies of this patent-may be obtained for five cents each,'by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washingtomi). G.

